Review: YOUNG JUSTICE #7
[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers]
Script: Brian Michael Bendis
Art: John Timms, Dan Hipp (pp. 2-3), and David LaFuente (pp. 4-6)
Colors: Gabe Eltaeb and Dan Hipp (pp. 2-3)
Letters: Wes Abbott
Reviewed By: Ari Bard
Summary
In Young Justice #7, our favorite new group of young heroes get jostled around the multiverse! It’s a classic adventure we’ve seen from all different types of superhero teams, but how will Young Justice handle themselves in the company of some older but familiar faces?
Positives
Brian Michael Bendis, John Timms, Gabe Eltaeb, and Wes Abbott really know how to have fun in the multiverse and have been using it as their own personal toy box throughout these last seven issues. Young Justice #7 is definitely a whirlwind of adventure as the book packs four different earths into a single issue. The bulk of the narrative and pace takes place on Earth-22, also known as the Kingdom Come universe, but it would have been nice to see a bit more than just a few panels of some of the other Earths as well. Nevertheless, this creative team is clearly juggling a lot of ideas between recapping the members of Young Justice and where they’ve been, explaining what happened to the team, dealing with each member’s individual issues, figuring out how to get back to their Earth, and dealing with the larger multiversal threat. It’s definitely a lot to handle, but it certainly sees like Bendis, Timms, Eltaeb, and Abbott are up to the task!
As always, Bart remains the star of the issue thanks to the creative team’s incredible dialogue, art, and humor. Whether it be how he’s positioned, the faces he makes, or whatever comes out of his mouth, it’s guaranteed to be hilarious. Bart’s immediate fascination with the Zoo Crew and witty retorts to members of his own team and the Justice Leagues of other Earths are just some of his wacky antics. Whether it be Hipp’s fabulous chibi Bart, LaFuente’s phenomenal Zoo Crew Bart, or Timms’s fantastic regular Bart, the character always has a smile on his face, and he’s sure to bring a smile to yours.
The issues premise may seem simple: get the heroes home, but it’s clearly a lot harder than you may think. People on other Earths aren’t exactly trusting of invaders and talking things out is actually a bit difficult. Add the fact that transportation between universes is mathematically, conceptually, and physically a bit tricky, and we may have a problem on our hands. Even so, the journey seems to be more about the lessons learned along the way, and that’s exactly what happens. The more “distinguished” Justice League members of Earth-22 definitely have some words of wisdom to impart on our young heroes.
Negatives
The book’s decompression remains the books biggest weakness. We’re given a whirlwind through four universes but don’t really get to explore any of them. Even their time on Earth-22 feels limited. No matter what great lines or scenes occur, the issue still feels a bit rushed.
Verdict
Young Justice #7 continues to be a fun adventure through the multiverse with a ton of humor, heart, and heroism.
